Announcements

The altar flowers this morning are given by Tamara & John Anderson to celebrate their son Collin’s graduation from the University of Arkansas and in recognition of his commencement ceremony on Friday, May 10, 2024.  

Happy Mother’s Day!

Youth Fundraiser Tomorrow
The SUM Youth Group will be selling chocolate-covered strawberries tomorrow, Mother’s Day, Sun., May 12th between services. Please stop by for a treat while supporting our youth.

Graduating Students
Do you have a graduate? We want to know! If you/your child/your grandchild will be graduating from high school, college, technical school, or graduate school this spring, please email the details to the office (name of the graduate, what school they are graduating from, area of study (if known), degree received, future plans – work or where they will be attending college/graduate school, and parent’s names). The deadline is Thursday, May 23rd. We will acknowledge SUM’s high school graduates at the 10:30 service on June 2. All graduates will be recognized in an upcoming Messenger.

Susanna Meeting Tues. May 14th
The next Susanna meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 14th, in the Annex at 6 PM. We are fortunate to have as our guest speaker Aida Mansoor, a board member of the Muslim Coalition of CT which focuses on educating the public on Islam and building alliances with other faith communities in Connecticut. All interested women are welcome to join us.  

SUM Spring Clean-up
SUM Spring clean-up will be held on Saturday, May 18 beginning at 8:00 AM. Our primary goal is to cut back, rake out, and mulch the flower beds around campus. Folks interested in weeding, pruning, or other ‘clean-up’ activities are welcome to join us as well! A few of our dedicated volunteer gardeners will be present to help guide efforts as needed. Please, bring your own gloves and your preferred gardening tools. We hope to see you there! 

Car Show and SUM Stained Glass & Carillon Tours
On Thursday, May 23rd from 12 - 3 PM there will be a car show at the Simsbury Historical Society grounds, where Austin Healey cars will be displayed. Vote on your favorite car! SUM will also be offering Stained Glass and Carillon Tours in the sanctuary to coincide with the car show. Hear the love story behind this beautiful building, see the Tiffany-stained glass windows, and climb the bell tower to see the magnificent carillon.

No Sunday School Memorial Day Weekend
We will not have Sunday School on Memorial Day weekend, May 26th. We will still have the nursery available during the 10:30 service.

Caregivers Retreat
Saturday, June 1st, from 9 AM - 4 PM - Are you in an active season of caring for a family member or other individual? Lee McGivney is facilitating a full-day retreat based on Henri Nouwen’s curriculum, Courage for Caregivers. It is a valuable opportunity to share your stories within a small group setting, fostering a sense of understanding and community. The retreat also includes a workbook for your notes and thoughts during the day. This is an important opportunity for caregivers. Click here for more information and to register.

“Musings” Discussion
Rev. Dennis Winkleblack will host a discussion of his “Musings” on Tuesday mornings June 11 - July 2 from 10:30 to Noon in the Annex. In retirement, Dennis has written nearly one hundred personal reflections on God, faith, and life, most less than a page in length. In this four-week session, Dennis will lead a discussion of several musings, as interest dictates. For June 11, the subject will be faith. Readings will be sent by email for downloading. For more info. and to register, go to our website.

Altar Flowers
If you would like to donate flowers for the altar on May 26th, please call Sandy Lipscomb at 860-651-8732. Thank you.

Register NOW for Vacation Bible School!
Don't miss this opportunity for our first all-day Vacation Bible School. VBS will be held Monday - Friday, June 17-21 from 9 am - 4 pm. Location: First Church of Christ. Children must be at least four years old - 5th grade. $250 per child if received by June 1st. You can register here.

Praying for the Entire SUM Family
Each week, we will publish five SUM directory entries to the Messenger so that you can add these people to your prayers. By the end of the year, we will have prayed for the entire SUM family. This week, please pray for the following: Deborah Majewski, Patricia & Kailynn Maloy, the Mambrino family (Nicholas, Aaron, and Nicholas Jr., Carla Marciano & Talula, and the Marco family (Cathy, Greg, and Andrew).

The Prayer Chain is Ready for Your Requests
The SUM reinvigorated Prayer Chain is ready for your requests. We have a dedicated team of Prayer Warriors who will receive them. To submit a prayer request, email our Prayer Warriors. Please let our Prayer Chain team know if the prayers are no longer needed by sending an update to the same email address.